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Sign of the Moon/Chapter 10
Chapter description :Ivypool blinks open her eyes, finding herself in the Dark Forest. The pale light of the stench-filled forest flows around her; she lays in the shade of an elder bush, which leaves patterns in her silver-white pelt. Yawning, Ivypool gets up, and slides from the leaves. The trees overhead cluster close together, and the branches tangle together to block out the sky. This comes as a relief to the ThunderClan warrior, since she can avoid the reminder of not being with her true Clan. Ivypool mutters about this, then tastes the air, detecting many cats. Voices come from the trees many fox-lengths away, and she heads in that direction. The silver-and-white she-cat realizes a clearing lays in front of her, and halts to watch, spotting the brown fur of Hawkfrost am dist a crowd. :A circle of younger warriors surround him, and Ivypool notices Breezepelt, a WindClan warrior, Tigerheart, a ShadowClan tom, and a few other Clan cats. Hawkfrost's blue eyes shine in the pale light, and the Dark Forest warrior begins talking about battles. The mackerel-striped tom then orders the other cats to attack him all at once, and Breezepelt questions this. But when Hawkfrost offers to fight him one-on-one after, the black tom disagrees hastily. Ivypool thinks Breezepelt is a mouse-brain, just before she loses sight of Hawkfrost as the recruits pile onto him, yowling and screeching. The dark warrior's head reappears, appearing as though he's trying to swim against the pelts around him, and, despite Ivypool's dislike for him, finds herself admiring Hawkfrost. The RiverClan cat's legs blur into motion as he begins fighting back, jaws snapping and tearing. First one, then another, the attackers rear away, and Hawkfrost is left standing, ruffled, and panting hard. :But the Dark Forest warrior appears unharmed, and Ivypool admits to herself about the awesomeness of what happened. He asks if they've learned anything, and Tigerheart, licking a bleeding paw, mutters about staying away from his claws. Amusement rises in murmurs from the others, but Hawkfrost doesn't share it, instead urging them about anything useful. The white she-cat speaks up, and he praises her, revealing the warrior as Icewing. The white-stomached tom then begins to demonstrate how he moved, and balances on his hind paws. He reaches out with his forepaws, then with a swift movement, rakes them down, and just as his forepaws touch the ground, Hawkfrost lashes out with his hind legs. :Any cat who is unlucky enough to be behind the dark cat would be struck hard; the tabby does the move again, but faster. Ivypool hears his command for the Clan cats to try it, and as she watches, the sheer amount of them hits her. Her stomach tightens with apprehension, recognizing Tigerheart's Clanmates, Ratscar, and Redwillow. Sunstrike from WindClan appears, and a RiverClan apprentice with Icewing. Ivypool mutters about Ratscar, recallig how shifty he looks, then wonders aloud why Icewing and Sunstrike are there. She says Breezepelt is an annoying lump of fur however, and then reminds herself of what she's doing. But while observing the eagerness of them, the ThunderClan she-cat knows most of them want to be better. Stronger than their Clanmates, and defend their home more easily, and be great at fighting. :She knows some cat would smell her eventually, if she stays in the bush, and doesn't wish to be accused of skulking around. The silver-and-white tabby emerges from the elder bush, and out into the clearing. Skirting around the cats, Ivypool comes face-to-face with Hawkfrost, and dips her head politely, greeting him. The dark tom's eyes are chips of ice, and he snaps at the ThunderClan cat, causing her to apologize, lying that she couldn't sleep. Hawkfrost's voice is now a menacing purr as he asks if her Clan isn't drilling her harder, and then assures her he'll fix it. Beckoning to the Dark Forest trainees, the former RiverClan warrior gazes around at them. :Hawkfrost praises them, then goes on to declare that Ivypool can help them practice their new move in a real battle. He orders them to strike, and leaps out from the circle, the Dark Forest trainees racing toward her. The silver-and-white she-cat barely has enough time to yowl a protest, before the cats are set upon her; Breezepelt tries the balance-and-slash, but Ivypool moves out of the way. The black tom brings his claws down, but hits the ground hard, leaving him staggering. She growls at him, then feels claws rake down her spine, and she tries to spin and attack. Another cat lands on her, and Ivypool falls, breath driven from her body. :Tigerheart's amber eyes glint close to her face, and he hisses at her, reminding her of attacking Flametail. She lashes out with her hind legs, battering the ShadowClan cat's stomach, and he rolls away, but Ivypool manages to land a blow on his ear. Another warrior replaces Tigerheart, yet one has its teeth sunken into her tail. She can barely move, and the yowls and shrieks assault her ears to the point where it hurts. Just as Ivypool realizes she's fighting for her life, a shadow falls across the clearing. The shrieking ceases, and the weight on her body vanishes. The ThunderClan she-cat scrambles up, briefly blind as blood trickles into her eyes from a scratch. :The slender warrior swipes the blood away, and sees Brokenstar, the former ShadowClan leader, standing at the clearing's edge. Another cat, hidden in the shadows, waits behind him. The big tabby tom tells the cats not to let him interrupt, but Hawkfrost paces forward, dipping his head in respect. The mackerel-striped warrior greets him, then asks if he can do anything. Brokenstar declares to the Dark Forest cats that he's found a new trainee, and pads forward into the dim light. The cat follows him, and Ivypool draws in a horrified breath. :The old ShadowClan leader introduces the cat as Blossomfall of ThunderClan, and tells the tortoiseshell that she's with Clanmates now. Ivypool watches as the she-cat glances around, nervous, but when Blossomfall's gaze lands on her, it flares, yet she only nods. Ivypool refuses to let the evil spirits believe she's more loyal to Blossomfall; most of the others murmur greetings, but don't speak. She wonders if they're meant to be a Clan, pondering how her true Clanmate ended up in the same situation as her. Hawkfrost questions if Brokenstar will show her skills, and the old tom orders Ratscar to fight. :The brown ShadowClan cat's ear is torn, yet he doesn't hesitate, throwing himself at Blossomfall, managing to knock her down. She shrieks in surprise as she falls, and Ratscar slams one paw down on her neck. Ivypool's stomach churns with tension as she observes Blossomfall gets free, but doesn't unsheathe her claws, landing only a soft blow. The silver-and-white she-cat wills the tortoiseshell to use her claws, since the training sessions aren't like ThunderClan's. Ratscar crouches, flinging himself for her; Blossomfall gets below him, but in the same moment, he twists, pinning her against the ground. :He sinks his teeth into her tail, and although the ThunderClan warrior lands blows, Ivypool is able to see how weak she's getting. Unable to watch the slaughter of the young she-cat, the white she-cat leaps for the ShadowClan tom, thrusting him off, and manages to claw his ears. Ratscar turns just as Blossomfall gets up, but Brokenstar calls for a halt. The massive brown tom approaches, waves Ratscar away, and looms over Ivypool. He questions why she interfered, and despite his low voice, the menace causes her to tremble. Struggling not to show her fear, the ThunderClan warrior glares right back at Brokenstar, reminding him not to let them stand by and be killed, since their loyalty is to one another. :The Dark Forest cat's pelt shows his distrust, and he follows it up by pointing out how she saved Blossomfall. Ivypool retorts each trainee is her Clanmate, hoping he believes her, and they stare at each other squarely. For some moments, Brokenstar holds her blue gaze, then steps aside; Ivypool faces Blossomfal, who ungratefully says she might've beat Ratscar. The silver-and-white warrior doesn't believe her words, and turns away, before spotting a brown cat in a crowd, his ear is black, and she recognizes him: Antpelt of WindClan. She bounds toward him, calling his name, and tells the brown tom she is glad he's fine. Ivypool examines his scars, noticing how they are healed, leaving the marks in his neck and spine. :Antpelt looks at her, amber eyes puzzled, replying that the Dark Forest is now his home. For a moment, the silver-white tabby fails to understand, then feels like she fell into icy water, and gasps. She stammers as she asks if he's died, and the WindClan tom shrugs, confirming it. Ivypool questions if he chose to stay in the Dark Forest, recounting how she liked Antpelt, and he states that the dark cats are his Clanmates more than WindClan had been. :She hears Hawkfrost calling her, and bounds over to meet the brown tabby, a younger she-cat beside him, wide-eyed. He introduces the young cat as Furzepaw of WindClan, a new recruit, and suggests Ivypool teach her some moves. The silver-white tabby agrees to, and watches as the Dark Forest tom walks away over to Sunstrike and Tigerheart. The ThunderClan warrior greets Furzepaw, asking if it's her first visit; the gray-and-white apprentice's voice squeaks as she replies it's her second, since she met Hawkfrost in a dream and told him about how some other cats were bullying her. :Before they begin training, Ivypool advises Furzepaw sheathes her claws, praying Brokenstar or Hawkfrost don't notice. She tells the WindClan she-cat she's coming to attack the camp as a fox, and the apprentice flings herself forward, snarling, but Ivypool easily sidesteps, and pins Furzepaw down, who squirms helplessly. The warrior wonders what the apprentices are taught in WindClan, stating now she's going to take Furzepaw to her fox den and eat her, letting the gray-and-white she-cat stand up. :She teaches her a basic move, to dart in and out, striking their opponent before jumping away. Ivypool reminds Furzepaw how big a badger is, which means brute strength won't help, but being clever and fast will. She tells the WindClan apprentice to try it, and the young she-cat darts in, lashes at Ivypool with a paw, then hops away. As Furzepaw tries again, the silver-and-white warrior notices Brokenstar and Hawkfrost are going around the clearing, observing the training sessions, and she hopes they don't come her way. :Just as she instructs Furzepaw on a new move, Hawkfrost calls to Ivypool, and she spins around, fearful, then notices he's beckoning all trainees, meaning the session is over. The brown tabby praises the Clan cats, including Blossomfall, complimenting how her battle moves are coming along. The tortoiseshell thanks him, and as Hawkfrost adds he thinks she'll fit in well, Ivypool realizes the Dark Forest is recruiting warriors from the Clans, and they're succeeding. Characters Major }} Minor *Breezepelt *Icewing *Tigerheart *Redwillow *Ratscar *Sunstrike *Unknown RiverClan apprentice *Blossomfall *Brokenstar *Antpelt *Hollowpaw }} Mentioned *Boulderpaw }} Errors *Troutstream is mentioned as a tom. *In Night Whispers, it says that Hollowpaw was already in the Place of No Stars, but in Sign of the Moon, it says that Hollowpaw was recently recruited into the Place of No Stars. Notes and references Category:Chapter subpages Category:Sign of the Moon Category:Omen of the Stars arc